Massaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

A massaging apparatus comprises a hand-held caselike support housing an electric motor, a rotor driven by the motor, and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted about axes equidistantly spaced apart from and parallel to the axis of the rotor. Said support includes a rim defining an open face of the support disposed in a plane generally parallel to the axis of the rotor, which rim can be applied against an area of a body to be massaged with said area lying in the path of said rollers during rotation of the rotor. An elastic sheet is removably mounted over said open face, and transmits impacts of the rollers to said area of a body being massaged.

1451 Apr. 22, 1975 1 MASSAGING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Winfried JeanWerding, Lausanne,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Gerwi A.G., Engelburg/SG.

Switzerland [22} Filed: Dec. 6, 1972 [21] Appl No.: 312,704

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 10. 1971 Switzerland018006/71 {521 US. Cl. 128/57 [51] Int. Cl A6lh 15/00 [58] Field ofSearch 128/57, 56. 24.3. 38, 56, 128/297. 300, 55, 60, 59

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 86.604 2/1869 Taylor 128/571.004.300 9/1911 Pope 128/57 1.710.051 4/1929 Giacopazzi 128/24.31.899.208 2/1933 Murphy 128/57 2.384.427 9/1945 Andis 128/57 2.574.60111/1951 Swanson 128/57 2.629374 2/1953 Acerbi M 128/57 2,662,238 12/1953Robey r. 128/56 X 3.019.784 2/1962 Eiden 3.297.024 1/1967 Robinson128/38 Primary E.raminerLawrence W. Trapp Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel .1. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [57] ABSTRACTA massaging apparatus comprises a hand-held caselike support housing anelectric motor. a rotor driven by the motor. and a plurality of rollersrotatably mounted about axes equidistantly spaced apart from andparallel to the axis of the rotor. Said support includes a rim definingan open face of the support disposed in a plane generally parallel tothe axis of the rotor. which rim can be applied against an area of abody to be massaged with said area lying in the path of said rollersduring rotation of the rotor. An elastic sheet is removably mounted oversaid open face. and transmits impacts of the rollers to said area of abody being massaged.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEU APR 2 2 i975 SHEET 1 0F 2PATENTEBAPRZ? 2 F335 sum 2 15 g FIGA- MASSAGING APPARA'IL'S Theinvention relates to massaging apparatus.

Various types of massaging apparatus are known. Some are in the form ofa brush. others include rollers or balls elastically or otherwisemounted in a frame. and others employ \ibrating belts. With these knownapparatus the massaging action generally takes place by a progressivelateral crushing. An important use of such massaging apparatus is theelimination of cellulitis. However. cellulitis involves deposits. ornodules. which cannot be eliminated by the blood or lymphatic flow butonly by bursting the nodules accumulated in the connective tissues. Toburst these nodules. the best results obtained to date ha\e been bymanual massage. by kneading. vv hich treatment is not without pain tothe person being massaged. or by massage with a jet of water or air atpressure or about 6 atmospheres.

An aim of the invention is to provide a massaging apparatus particularlysuitable for the treatment of cellulitis. and which acts by percussionfollowed by a progressi\e lateral crushing.

According to the imcntion. a massaging apparatus comprises a support anda rotor mounted in the sup port. said rotor carrying at least one rollerrotatably mounted about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from theaxis of the rotor.

Preferably. the support includes a rim defining an open face of thesupport disposed at least approxi mately in a plane generally parallelto the axis of said rotor. which rim can be applied against an area of abody to be massaged with said area lying in the path of said at leastone roller during rotation of the rotor. When the rotor is driven. theor each roller can thus be made to percute the treated area. and thenprovide a progressive lateral squashing analogous to a massage bykneading. The speed and direction of impact of the rollertsl can bevaried by changing the orientation of the apparatus. Percussion isparticularly efficient for the treatment of ccllulitis. in view oftheprofound penetration upon impact. the incompressibility of the liquidscontained in the tissues. and the relatively little possibility for thetissues to move apart.

An embodiment of a massaging apparatus according to the invention willnow be particularly described. by way of example. with reference to theaccompanying schematic drawings. in which:

FIG. I is a view in cross-section taken along line I-I of FIG. 4'.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a removable attachment. taken along II-llof FIG. 3'.

FIG 3 is a plan iew of the removable attachment;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view ofthe apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus.

The apparatus shown comprises a main support 1 in the form of a hollowcase or housing. for example in a moulded synthetic plastics material.in which a rotor 2 is rotatably mounted. Rotor 2 includes a main shaft 3carrying at its ends four radial arms 4. 5. 6. 7 and 4'. 5'. 6'. 7'.respectively. with the adjacent arms disposed perpendicular to oneanother. The outer ends of parallel pairs of the arms spaced apart alongshaft 3. namely 4. 4'; 5. 5'16. 6'; 7. 7'. are interconnected by axles8. 9. It] and I I respectively on which are freely rotatably mountedfour members such as rollers l2. l3. l4 and IS. The rotor shaft 3 ismounted in bearings 19 and 20 2 formed in facing walls of the support Iduring moulding.

The arms with their axle. for example 4. 4' and 8. can be formed from asingle rod whose ends are bent to form the arms after fitting of theroller.

FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show the means for driving rotor 2. namelyan electric motor I6 and a reduction gear I7. which may include a gearchange device if desired. Motor [6 also carries a propeller blade l8which is adapted to suck air in through an inlet (not shown l in thecase for the purpose ofeooling motor 16. An adjustable heating elementmay be placed between the motor 16 and the rotor 2 for a purpose whichwill be described later. Means can also be provided for setting thespeed of the motor.

The support 1 includes an open portion or face. defined by a rim havingtwo rim sections generally parallel to the axis of the rotor shaft 3.which can be cov ered by an interchangeable sheet 21 of a flexibleelastic ma terial. for example in rubber or in an elastic fabric. whichis stretched between two bars 22 and 23 which are removably clipped intorecesses 24 and 25 in opposed edges of said rim of support I. and areheld in place by the elasticity of the stretched sheet. The sheet couldbe removably mounted onto said rim by other means; for example. the bars22. 23 could be replaced by tubular members which slidably engage railsalong opposed edges of said rim.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. the sheet 2] is a laminate including tworelatively thin layers 26. 27 of an elastically expansible anddeformable material disposed about a relatively thick layer 28 of anelastically compressible material. for example a foamed rubber.

The part of support I about motor 16 is shaped to form a hand grip. andthe said rim of the open face of the support is adapted. in use. to beplaced against an area of a body to be massaged with said area lying inthe path of the working surfaces of the rollers l2. l3. l-l and 15during rotation of rotor 2. The tissues and/or muscles ofthe treatedarea are thus exposed to the following actions. A percussion impacttakes place where a roller moves in the direction towards the treatedarea (right hand part of FIG. I for a rotation of rotor 2 in theclockwise direction I. from the point where the roller contacts thearea. where movement of the roller is approximately perpendicular to thearea. until the roller moves generally parallel to the area. as shownfor roller [5 in FIG. I. Percussion is thus exerted throughout an arc ofmovement of each roller. and the degree of percussion can be adjusted byexerting a greater or lesser pressure on the handle of support I.

Once a roller (e.g.. I5) is in contact with the massaged area of thebody. it continues its movement whilst carrying out a kneading which iseffective especially when the roller has passed the position of roller[5 in FIG. I; the kneading energy is also dependant on the pressureexerted on the handle of support 1. Three different degrees of intensityof action ofthe apparatus are schematically indicated in FIG. I by threewavy lines 30. 31. 32 which represent momentaneous shapes of the skinand sheet 2] corresponding to three different pressures. By continuingits circular movement. the rotor 2 makes one roller (e.g.. I5) move outof contact with the treated area while the following roller leg. 14)moves into contact. The rate of rotation of rotor 2 determines thefrequency of the percussion which is preferably adjustable. bychange-speed gears or by a 3 rheostat. between 25 and 100 impacts persecond. pret" erably between 40 and ()5. Apart from the percussionproducing impacts. the apparatus therefore has also a vibratory effectwith a profound penetration generally perpendicular to the massaged areaof the body.

By using an absorbing sheet such as the laminate shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.it is possible to modify the effect otthe apparatus. or the type oftreatment. L'se with a thick absorbing sheet can produce a sedati eeffect. while use with a thin sheet. or none at all. is stimulating.

W hen a heater is incorporated between the rotor and the motor 16. theair delivered by blade 18. after ha ing cooled the motor It. may befurther heated and delirered to the treated area of the body at adesired tem perature in order to combine the massage with a heattreatment.

It nould also be possible to vary the intensity of the massage byprmiding means for adjusting the position of the rim defining the openface of the support in relation to the rotor 2.

What is claimed is:

l. A massaging apparatus comprising;

a support ha\ ing a rim which defines an open face of the support; thesupport defining a rotor axis:

a sheet mounted on said rim and extending across said open face. saidsheet being a laminate including two relati ely thin layers of anelastically expansible material and a relatively thick layer of an hllelastically compressible material between said two relathely thinlayers; and

rotor means mounted in the support for rotation about said rotor axis tomow into contact with. and roll in er. successhe portions of said sheetand thereby to apply massaging effects.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said sheet and said rimhare edges and include. at correspondlng mutually opposed edges. meansfor releasably gripping an edge of the sheet to an edge of the rim andfor holding the sheet elastically stretched between opposed ones of theedges of the rim.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, including an electric motormounted on said support for dri ing said rotor. and means for propellingair past said motor and said rotor,

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, additionally including heatermeans disposed in said support. be tween the electric motor and therotor. for heating said air.

5. A massaging apparatus according to claim I wherein said rotor meansdefines at least one roller axis parallel to and radially spaced fromsaid rotor axis. and includes roller means mounted on the rotor forrotation therewith and for rotation about the roller axis to roll to ersaid successive portions of said sheet and thereby to apply saidmassaging effects.

1. A massaging apparatus comprising; a support having a rim whichdefines an open face of the support; the support defining a rotor axis;a sheet mounted on said rim and extending across said open face, saidsheet being a laminate including two relatively thin layers of anelastically expansible material and a relatively thick layer of anelastically compressible material between said two relatively thinlayers; and rotor means mounted in the support for rotation about saidrotor axis to move into contact with, and roll over, successive portionsof said sheet and thereby to apply massaging effects.
 1. A massagingapparatus comprising; a support having a rim which defines an open faceof the support; the support defining a rotor axis; a sheet mounted onsaid rim and extending across said open face, said sheet being alaminate including two relatively thin layers of an elasticallyexpansible material and a relatively thick layer of an elasticallycompressible material between said two relatively thin layers; and rotormeans mounted in the support for rotation about said rotor axis to moveinto contact with, and roll over, successive portions of said sheet andthereby to apply massaging effects.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1in which said sheet and said rim have edges and include, atcorresponding mutually opposed edges, means for releasably gripping anedge of the sheet to an edge of the rim and for holding the sheetelastically stretched between opposed ones of the edges of the rim. 3.An apparatus according to claim 1, including an electric motor mountedon said support for driving said rotor, and means for propelling airpast said motor and said rotor.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3,additionally including heater means disposed in said support, betweenthe electric motor and the rotor, for heating said air.